Follow the self proclaimed "Clot Buster" triathlete on his quest to raise funds for the NATIONAL BLOOD CLOT ALLIANCE- STOPTHECLOT.org
Come along for the SWIM, the RIDE, the RUN, and everything in between!
Learn more about blood clots and blood clotting disorders at www.STOPTHECLOT.org

Get YOUR very own CLOT BUSTER #StopTheClot polka-dots

The "CLOT BUSTERs RACING to STOP THE CLOT" RUNNING SHIRT + TRIATHLON TOP + CYCLING JERSEY + PERFORMANCE TRUCKER HAT & PERFORMANCE VISOR!!!PLEASE HELP US CELEBRATE CLOT SURVIVORS and spread awareness about blood clots and blood clotting disorders.If you are aCLOT SURVIVOR you need polka-dots to inspire others and CELEBRATE that you are Survivor.If you are aFAMILY MEMBER or FRIEND of a blood clot survivor you need polka-dots to spread the word, create awareness andCELEBRATE your Survivor's Accomplishments!(If you don't see the size you need we can make special arrangements so just ask @ CLOTBUSTERPOLKADOTS@gmail.com)

CLOT BUSTER #StopTheClot PERFORMANCE TRUCKER HAT

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CLOT BUSTER #StopTheClot PERFORMANCE VISOR

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CLOT BUSTER #StopTheClot PERFORMANCE RUNNING SHIRT

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Friday, April 01, 2016

April Athlete of the Month

Listen Up!

This post is NOT an April Fools Joke about a blood clot survivor that can inspire all of us with her dedication, discipline, determination, never quit attitude, and pure love of her life.

I am not sure I can keep up with her as she is always on the move... with family, working, training and racing... I sure admire her energy and would love to know her secret to keep her going...

I am very fortunate to have had the chance to meet her in person one time as she slowed down enough to catch a bite to eat last year. I very much enjoyed learning about her story and how she is determined not to let her clotting incident slow her down because she has many (and I mean many) very cool items on her bucket list that she is checking off one at the time...

Personally I don't know how she does it but I hope that as you read her story some of NANCY KUSHINSKY's drive rubs off on you as it has with me... Don't leave for tomorrow what you can do today...

Read on...

"1)What is you
sport/activity of choice? Why do you enjoy it?

- I'm a runner.That's pretty much it anymore.It's a sport I can easily take on the road with me since I travel so
much for work.I love running because it
is my escape from stress and it gives me a chance to clear my mind and/or work
through problems. I have also been lucky to find two great running groups that
are very different from each other but are full of great people and are really
supportive.

2)How did you get
started in that sport?

- I was a runner in high school but then didn't run again
until my 30s.I was tagged in a Facebook
photo and when I first saw it I couldn't figure out why I was tagged in
it.But then I hovered on my name I
realized the person I was linked to was me.I didn't even recognize myself.So I untagged myself (of course!), had a good cry, and signed up for my
first half marathon that night.I went
to being sedentary to training for a half marathon in the click of a button.

3)What is the latest
milestone you achieved or plan to achieve?(Long bike ride, some race coming up
or that you did)

- I am working towards I half marathon in all 50
states.Injuries derailed me a bit last
year, but I am back in racing shape.I'll be knocking Arizona, Oklahoma, and Missouri off the list this
spring.So far I am at 30 half marathons
total, covering 19 states, DC, and Ireland, Iceland, Italy, and Spain.

4)Tells about your
clotting episode.Are you on blood
thinners now? How long were you out of commission?

- I went for run and not even a third of a mile in I had a
horrible pain in my neck and along my right shoulder.I thought it was a pinched nerve so I
continued with my run as well as going to work.Over the next week or so I had trouble breathing on my right side.I thought I had pulled a muscle or separated
a rib.Trying to lie flat at night to
sleep was torture.Then one night I woke
up around 2am gasping and desperate for air but every breath hurt worse than
the last one.Went to the emergency room
where I walked in under my own power because I refuse to use wheelchairs (and
bedpans!).They did chest x rays and
diagnosed me with pneumonia.I was given
an IV drip of antibiotics and would be discharged when it was done.Lucky for me, there was a shift change before
the drip was done.The new doctor ordered
a CT scan.Shortly after everyone
started freaking out and that's when I was told it was multiple bilateral PEs
with infarction and not pneumonia.I was
in the hospital for five days, did lovenox shots at home for a bit, and then
was on warfarin for over 18 months.

5)When were you able
to get back into your activity?How did
it feel that first time?

- I went to see my primary care doctor after being
discharged from the hospital and asked her about running.She told me I could start walking again when
I felt ready and slowly work back into running.She told me to expect it to take a while and that my speed might not get
back to where it was before.So I asked
her if a half marathon in two weeks was out of the question.She laughed...and then realized I was
serious.LOLShe said I could try to do it but I might not
finish.So I got on a plane to Idaho two
weeks later and did my 8th half marathon.It was hard and it wasn't fast, but I did it!I felt like I couldn't ever get a deep breath
most of the race and had to walk at times.The air was really cold, which for me has become an issue since get the
PEs.

- I love Asics for road running, Saucony for my trail shoes,
and my Simple Hydration water bottle is perfect for me since I hate holding
anything in my hands.And I do looove my
Clot Buster's polka dot shirt.Whenever
I wear it in a race someone tells me they like it.

7)How much are you
getting out doing your sport?(Everyday
you do some training, 2, 3, 4 times per week)

- I'm streaking right now.So as of writing this, I have run 113 days in a row.That included doing laps in the JFK airport
terminal when my flight canceled due to a snow storm!

8)What is your
favorite food?Either generally or after
a workout.For me there is nothing
better than a Chipotle Burrito...

- I love Buffalo Wild Wings!I'm pretty much a regular there, especially during March Madness.Pre race I like pizza and beer (preferably an
IPA) the night before a race.Post race
I want a Diet Dr. Pepper.

9)If you could go
some place to visit and explore, where would like to go?

- Iceland was a bucket list destination and I knocked it off
last fall.It was amazing!I travel a lot, but of the places I haven't
been yet I would say South Africa, Morocco, and Cuba are high on my list.I've never been to South America, but the
plan is to get to Chile, Argentina, and maybe Uruguay this fall.

10)What would you
like to say to someone who is going through a clotting episode, perhaps very
similar to yours?How can people return
to do what they enjoy? Tells about your concerns and what you look out after as
you got back.

- Don't be afraid to speak up if something doesn't seem
right.You know your body better than
anyone else.If you feel like you aren't
getting answers or are getting dismissed, get a second opinion.You also have to be your own biggest support
system.Most people have no idea how
rough the road back from PEs and DVTs are so even friends and family may seem
unconcerned simply because they don't understand."

WOW...

Nancy - THANK YOU for your willingness to share your story.

You certainly have a plan and I HOPE THAT YOU GET TO ACHIEVE ALL OF IT if not more.

From here in Columbus, OH I will continue to follow your progress anywhere in the world... Although I am jealous most of the time you give me the inspiration to plan "racecations" to unique destinations. I would love it if you could take me with you some time... just know that I am fluent in Spanish so I offer free translation for a half-marathon race in South-America or Spain (Second go around in Barcelona..?) with the CLOT BUSTER #StopTheClot polka-dots...

By the way, I never thought that the CLOT BUSTER #StopTheClot polka-dots could end up in Iceland... Where are we going next...?!?! Where ever it is take pictures and share them with us!